Entry-level HTC Desire C to start shipping in India on June 15, what happened to the low price point?

Although it’s a player in the high-end market first and foremost, HTC is also thinking of tech users on a lower budget. The Desire C, also known as the Golf some time ago, was unveiled last month and is slowly, but steadily, entering the entry-level markets in several key regions.

Released in the UK a couple of weeks back, HTC’s newest ICS-powered smartphone will start selling in India by the end of this week. Buy the Price is the first retailer to put the Desire C up for pre-order, but unfortunately the asking price seems a bit steep.

We suspected (or rather hoped) to see the Desire C retail for a maximum of $200, but that’s not the case in either UK or India. After Clove has put the new SIM-free version of the phone up for sale for £189.99 (around $295), Buy the Price has decided to charge a little less for it, but still more than we’d have liked. 14,299 INR is the official price tag for the Indian unlocked Desire C, with all taxes included, which translates to around $255 at today’s conversion rates.

For that kind of money, you’ll get a pretty decently looking 3.5-incher with Android 4.0 ICS and Sense 4 UI, as well as a 98 grams (3.46 ounces) weight and 11.95 mm (0.47 inches) profile. On the other hand, the tech specs are modest, to say the least, and they include a 480 x 320 pixels resolution screen, a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 600 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of on-board memory and a 5 MP rear-facing camera.

HTC’s Desire C does come with Beats Audio technology, a microSD card slot with a pre-installed 8 GB memory card, and 25 GB of free Dropbox storage, but I’m not sure that’s enough for this phone to be worth its money. Do you guys agree? Would you be willing to pay around $250 or more for the Desire C if it were to come to the US? Let us know in the comments section below!